What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[radar]

Did you ever see the early 80s Australian TV ad “TDK does amazing things to my System”

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[GT 550]

I'd like a system like that in my garage .

(Careful, he's an innocent and wholesome soul and easily corrupted .)

 

[DFB5.0]

I'd like a system like that in my garage .

(Careful, he's an innocent and wholesome soul and easily corrupted .)

I blushed at that TDK video!

 

[MAGS1]

This is not garage related, but its going in here anyway!

I watch and listen to music via YouTube, usually while writing or doing bookwork, which forms a large part of my daily de-stress. This was played through a Sony sound bar which I found underwhelming, then hooked up to a 20-year-old Panasonic hi-fi (similar to below) which gave much more headroom. But due to the analog connection, the sound quality from either system wasn't all that great.

I got that Panasonic as a birthday gift in my early teens, so it's somewhat sad to pack it away. I do have a Bluetooth receiver for it, so I guess I could send it out to the garage.

As is typical for me, I tend to double down on topics that interest me. As a teen, I was actually obsessed with sound and audio setups, to the point where I was the sound assistant for the school theater productions. Since then, other interests took over, detailing/cars/wood working/mowers, so it's been a very long time since I played with this sort of thing.

As you can image, the audio rabbit hole is extremely deep, and extremely expensive. I was not looking for an ear bleeder home theater system, but rather something that was neat, easy to setup and offer a decent upgrade to what I had been using. And so, once again, I was influenced by what OG sell in their store for use in the garage and home alike.

I looked at both passive (speakers connected to an amplifier/DAC) or active speakers (combined powered speaker/amp).

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/passive-speakers
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/powered-monitors

Passive speakers certainly give you extra scope for future additions and/or headroom. But I liked the compact, simple format offered by the powered active speakers. As such, I was looking at PSB Alpha AM5 Powered Bookshelf Speakers, or the Dynaudio LYD Studio Monitors.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/powered-monitors/products/dynaudio-lyd-studio-monitors
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/coll.../psb-alpha-powered-bookshelf-speakers-am3-am5

The cost premium for the Dynaudio system was just a bit too much for me, so after watching a number of videos from both OG and others, the PSB AM5's punch well above their weight and became my speaker choice.







While I would have liked to order all this from OG, in fact the USD-AUD conversion for these units is lineball with what local retailers sell them for, but I would have had to pay import duties as well. I actually found them on sale at a local retailer, so I ordered the PSB AM5 set in white, along with a subwoofer to compliment the setup.

The sub-woofer is a SVS SB-1000 Pro, in this case wired rather than wireless.

Adjustments to the sub output can be easily changed via Bluetooth in the SVS app.

The sub connects from the sub-out port on the back of the AM5 to the LFE port on the sub itself, you then select Sub on the on the AM5 remote. While the AM5's are labeled as "wireless" speakers, they do require wires (supplied, but I have swapped them for upgraded items) to connect the powered speaker to the slave speaker. I then have the TV connected via the optical plug, and music can be streamed via Bluetooth from a phone.





The first thing to note is the cleanliness of the system, a simple and uncluttered setup. The second thing to note, while they may be smaller than the two Panasonic speakers they replace, the output is brilliant. The listening modes can be changed to suit, with Stereo, Widesound, Dialog and Widesound Plus options. I have also paired the supplied PSB remote to the TV sound control buttons for a seamless installation.

Apparently, speakers have a break in period just like cars. But even now, the system sounds brilliant, offering a depth of clarity beyond what I am used to. I'm even picking up different sounds that I hadn't heard before.

And because I can..............................

I'm terming this a late birthday present to myself.

If you want to see some crazy stereo setups, check out Pan the Advertiser . He’s done a couple videos on his garage and in-home setups. Those will say what they will about his detailing videos but he knows how to do audio setups.

 

[FKE SNK]

I’ll raise you a crazy garage stereo…

 

[Brisvegas]

Did you ever see the early 80s Australian TV ad “TDK does amazing things to my System”

Funny you should post that , the sounds in my garage are an old TDK bluetooth boombox that sounds way better than a comparable JBL or Ultimate Ears version . I use a 40 inch samsung TV and an intel NUC computer also , great combo

 

[Brisvegas]

I’ll raise you a crazy garage stereo…

Glad i dont live next to you , thats some serious overkill headroom . I got an Emotiva XPA stored in my garage and thats a toy ( not a toy in reality )compared to the output you got there , OMG , when you listen to Soundgarden so do your neighbours lol

 

[Bulutt]

Glad i dont live next to you , thats some serious overkill headroom . I got an Emotiva XPA stored in my garage and thats a toy ( not a toy in reality )compared to the output you got there , OMG , when you listen to Soundgarden so do your neighbours lol

Looks great but many moons ago when I used to really be into top end equipment the stack was reversed to have the big power amp on top as it produced the most heat. Having it on the bottom means you are heating up all the equipment above.

 

[Brisvegas]

Looks great but many moons ago when I used to really be into top end equipment the stack was reversed to have the big power amp on top as it produced the most heat. Having it on the bottom means you are heating up all the equipment above.

Its in storage , randomly stacked unwired , take zero note of the order . Ive been an audiophile for decades . i actually have a fan setup that goes above the amp for when i use it again

 

[DFB5.0]

Something that I have had done a few times now, but never done by me, replacing the drive gears and pawls on my beloved Rover ProCut 560.

These are a wear item that need to be maintained, either by periodic cleaning and lubrication or via total replacement. The symptoms that something is not right include one wheel driving rather than two, excessive noise and the wheels locking up in forward or reverse. All present on my unit.

With nearly all Rover spare parts gone for the ProCut models, I was lucky to score two sets of cogs and pawls from an online retailer. Mine arrived loose rather than in the Rover packaging.

https://powermowers.com.au/products...370-1k-procut-50?_pos=17&_sid=c132d6cb6&_ss=r



The process for replacement is not all that hard, especially after you watch a video of someone else doing it, apparently in in under 3 minutes...............



I say "apparently" because I broke the tiny circlip that retains the cog assembly on the driveshaft. I should say, it came off easy enough, but putting it back on without the correct tool meant I snapped the 10 year old circlip. A trip down to the local bearing store had me sorted in no time, along with the CORRECT circlip pliers to get the job done properly.

Anyway, first you must remove the hub cap, then remove the press fit wheel retaining washer. The wheel then slides away from the axle.

You then remove that bloody circlip, slide the washer, cog and pawl away from the driveshaft. Each side has it's own cog, with L or R stamped on the reverse side.

After cleaning each component, in particular the groves on the wheel, I put a small amount of marine grade grease on the axle and driveshaft. The cog then slides back on, the pawl inserted in the driveshaft slot, washer and circlip reinstalled.

Before sliding the wheel back in place and securing with a new press fit washer, I applied graphite powder to the wheel and cog. You aren't supposed to use a liquid lubricant on these, over time the oil mixes with dust and debris and thus turns into liquid sandpaper. The graphite is the dry substitute.

Only the left-hand side was not driving, which is no wonder considering how much grass and dirt was in there, but I also replaced the right-hand side parts too.

With both sides done, a quick test revealed a successful result, no more single pegger! An oil change, and the Rover is back in action.

But, I have a problem. After 10 years of hard use, the pressed steel cover that limits the amount of debris entering the wheel assembly has worn through and is letting dust and grass to enter the drive cogs and wheel.

And of course, the part is NLA in Australia. I have found it in the UK as a POA part. Now waiting to see if I can get two replacements. Naturally, these parts don't affect the operation of the drive system, but they do prolong the working life of the parts in question.

https://www.powertoolspares.com/rover/pro-cut-560.m/rov00030/spares

Here's hoping I get lucky and score another set of covers. It does mean removing the wheel and drive cogs again though.

 

[FKE SNK]

Glad i dont live next to you , thats some serious overkill headroom . I got an Emotiva XPA stored in my garage and thats a toy ( not a toy in reality )compared to the output you got there , OMG , when you listen to Soundgarden so do your neighbours lol

If you do it right, the neighbors enjoy it too. I only have one that complains and he lives on the street behind us. The rest come over and jam with us. Otherwise I'm pretty respectful with it. I'm limited by the 30 amp outlet anyway


Back on topic - DFB I finally got some Bead Maker to try, but it was -7 today so I'm gonna wait. Doing some car sitting for a few weeks, and this one has some swirls that are bothering me

 

[DFB5.0]

This is my Dad's setup that he bought in the early 90's, untouched and unused in probably 20 years now. Such as shame because that amp has some grunt to it. The CD player was pretty swish for the time as well.

I remember late, late one Saturday night, the neighbors over the back from us were having quite the party. My Dad has one of the longest fuses you will ever encounter in a human, but when he's had enough, the explosion is huge! To combat said neighbors, he cranked up that stereo, which had two channels, one for indoors, and one for the outdoor patio. Dire Straits pumped up to the max for a few minutes silenced the party over the back! Never forget that, was both hilarious and annoying at the same time.

I'm going to try and convince him to get some new speakers for it and hopefully get it running again so he can play some of his old vinyl's.

 

[DFB5.0]

Wash day for both the Jaguar and Ranger.

The Ranger was first, and finally following up with my intention of doing an engine bay clean. I had a few people ask me how to do this, so here goes.........

You probably don't need to, but where possible I like to cover the battery, fuse box and alternator with a plastic bag. I find a saturated towel helps weigh down the bag and prevent it from being blasted off with the pressure washer.

My engine bay was not terrible, but I needed the assistance of running water and chemical to get into places a towel and detail spray couldn't access. After an initial rinse, I applied APC to the whole engine bay. If the underside of the hood is dirty, apply it here too.

Then with a couple of different brushes, scrub and agitate wherever you can reach.

After that, rinse thoroughly. The main thing to be mindful of with this is to keep the nozzle or hose moving. After the rinse, I liberally applied Meguiar's Hyper Dressing at 5:1. I have access to an undiluted bottle of Hyper Dressing, but if you have the RTU bottle, you will need to dilute that further as the 1:1 ratio is too rich for this job.

At this point, you can close the hood and walk away. In my case, I hit the engine bay with my blower to further distribute the Hyper Dressing and speed up the drying. However, because Hyper Dressing is self-leveling, this step is not always required. I should also point out that you want to do this process BEFORE washing the rest of the car, you will manage to get some APC and dressing residue onto the surrounding paint, which the wash will sort out.

After that, the wheels and tyres were cleaned with Brake Buster, the paint with the delightful Opti-Coat M-Wash, the drying aid a throw back to my past, Meguiar's Last Touch. Interior was vacuumed and given a wipe down with KCx ASC, tyres dressed with NV Onyx..........still love that stuff.

With the Jaguar sitting in storage uncovered for a while now, it swapped places with the XR6 and was in desperate need for a wash. In this case, the wheels and tyres again sorted with Brake Buster, the exterior washed with the Halloween Edition of NV Snow..........which is exactly the same as the normal version in every way, including scent. Drying aid here was P&S Paint Gloss, tyres dressed with Angelwax Elixir.

During the drying process, I noticed the front number plate protector was shattered. I had a replacement in stock, so got it swapped out, in the process ridding the car of the dealer propaganda version. What I initially thought was a rock strike, removal revealed that the plate was dinted underneath, so I suspect someone nudged into it while parked down town.

 

[Bulutt]

This is my Dad's setup that he bought in the early 90's, untouched and unused in probably 20 years now. Such as shame because that amp has some grunt to it. The CD player was pretty swish for the time as well.

I remember late, late one Saturday night, the neighbors over the back from us were having quite the party. My Dad has one of the longest fuses you will ever encounter in a human, but when he's had enough, the explosion is huge! To combat said neighbors, he cranked up that stereo, which had two channels, one for indoors, and one for the outdoor patio. Dire Straits pumped up to the max for a few minutes silenced the party over the back! Never forget that, was both hilarious and annoying at the same time.

I'm going to try and convince him to get some new speakers for it and hopefully get it running again so he can play some of his old vinyl's.

Remember it well. NAD still make top class gear.

 

[DFB5.0]

Remember it well. NAD still make top class gear.

Our neighbor at the time went and bought a similar system after seeing my dad's setup. He had it installed with wall mounted speakers, basically a surround sound entertainment room. You could tell when he was watching a movie or playing his classical music, the whole street would rumble.

Sadly, he passed a few years ago from cancer, but he was like me, going all in on whatever he chose to be interested in, in particular tech.

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